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Saudi Arabia

Yakin Ertürk, the special rapporteur of the United Nations Human Rights Council on Violence Against Women, will officially visit the Kingdom for 10 days starting today to gather first-hand information on violence against women in the Kingdom.

Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah has pardoned a female rape victim who had been sentenced to 200 lashes for being alone with a man at the time of the attack who was not related to her, reported a Saudi newspaper.

Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah has pardoned a female rape victim who had been sentenced to 200 lashes for being alone with a man at the time of the attack who was not related to her. Saudi Justice Minister Abdullah bin Muhammed al-Sheik told al-Jazirah newspaper that the pardon does not mean the king doubted the country's judges, but instead acted in the ''interests of the people.''

"There is no legal or Islamic basis for such sentencing. Although it is true that according to Qur’anic teaching, a woman may not meet a man in privacy, no punishment was decreed for taking such action."